Seventeen Tennessee counties are getting broadband services, thanks to a $14.8 million grant signed by Governor Bill Lee.
Five of those counties are in our neck of East Tennessee, including Rhea, McMinn, Monroe, Grainger and Jefferson counties. The funding would go to companies like the Appalachian Electric Cooperative, TDS Telecom and the Volunteer Energy Cooperative to develop broadband infrastructure over a two-year period. .....

A mercury advisory has been issued for fish consumption in Cocke and Hamblen Counties.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in August 2018 issued a precautionary advisory for consumption of smallmouth bass and channel catfish in downstream portions of the Nolichucky River in Cocke and Hamblen Counties.
The advisory also applies to the downstream portion of the Pigeon River in Cocke County....

Your bracket is filled out, but still not sure how to follow basketball during March Madness? This glossary guide keeps you informed with key words to know during the game.
Every one of your friends is going to the big March Madness TV party. You want to go, too, but you don't want to sound like a roundball blockhead....

Here in East Tennessee, we know Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have a lot of attractions going for them.
But, it's not just us. Families across the country are visiting these two destinations for spring break, according to a new ranking from VRBO, a vacation rental company....

Top

East Tennessee's Dolly Parton is showing no signs of slowing down.
Her career, already spanning more than five decades, has earned her more than 47 Grammy nominations, more than 25 No. 1 songs and countless other accolades.
"I'm just always on the job,” Parton said. “You can't pull back for a year or so and expect people to remember you. I have never left the scene. I try to think I am relevant because I work hard all the time."..

Faith

Tennessee’s new senator, Marsha Blackburn, has just introduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. This coincides with this year’s March for Life, noting 46 years since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion...

LifeStyles

Neuroscience research suggests it might be time to rethink our ideas about when exactly a child becomes an adult.
Research suggests that most human brains take about 25 years to develop, though these rates can vary among men and women, and among individuals.

Tim Barnwell, Asheville, NC

Tech Bites

Slack, Signal, Hangouts, Wire, iMessage, Telegram, Facebook Messenger. Why do we need so many apps to do one thing?.Science fiction visions from decades ago imagined flying cars, kitchens that cook food for us, and the ability to call anyone, anywhere on the planet. What they didn’t imagine is that we’d end up in a messaging hellscape, with an endless array of apps on our phones just to send a simple piece of text to a friend...